World’s tallest building gets even taller

25 June 2008

The world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai, is going to be even taller than originally planned, developer Emaar Properties has announced.
The height enhancement is already underway, as is construction of the two communication floors and structural steel work. The final height of the Burj Dubai will be revealed only on its completion in September 2009.

Alongside height enhancement, Burj Dubai is also upgrading its interior finishes. International designers from California revisited the designs to make the residences more attractive and functionally superior. The redesign process, undertaken over the past three months, has been completed, with the emphasis on top-notch quality standards.

Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, said, “We get one chance in a lifetime to deliver a world-class project such as the Burj Dubai. Our main objective is to ensure that the very best in engineering, architecture, interiors, finishes and infrastructure support are employed in the making of this iconic building, which is the pride of Dubai. In the process, we will ensure speedy execution without any compromise in quality. We believe that a completion date of September 2009 is possible and reasonable for a project of this global magnitude and significance.”

“The enhancements on Burj Dubai are being enabled through the advances in technology as well as qualitative improvements. Several aspects of Burj Dubai, especially with respect to the interiors, were decided as early as 2004. With the current enhancements we are bringing in the latest in quality considerations that will keep Burj Dubai truly exclusive,” Mr Alabbar added.

Burj Dubai, at over 636 metres (2,036.6 ft), is already the world’s tallest building and structure. Currently at 160 storeys, the tower also has the largest number of floors in any building. Burj Dubai has surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA - 628.8 metres (2,063 ft) and taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres; 1667 ft) in Taiwan and CN Tower (553.33 metres; 1815.5 ft) in Toronto, Canada.

ADVERTISEMENT

Currently, some 7,500 professionals and skilled workers are employed on-site at Burj Dubai. Cladding work is nearing completion and various infrastructure building works are being undertaken. The best energy efficient technologies are being deployed to ensure that the iconic building is also a standard for energy usage and recycling of water.

Apart from luxury residences and commercial suites, Burj Dubai also features one of the first Armani Hotels and Armani Residences in the world - designed by fashion veteran Giorgio Armani. The tower will also have an observation deck on Level 124 which will offer visitors a bird’s eye view of the city and beyond.——-